Sewer line inspection?

[Boilerman]

We are in the process of selling our home in Colorado and moving to TV for a 3 month rental and then a purchase.

As part of the home inspection being done on our Colorado home, the buyers are running a line through our sewer line to see if there are blockages like tree roots. Since it's been 20 years since we bought our current house, I'd never heard of a sewer line inspection.

Are sewer line inspections done in Florida? If so, are they done routinely or is it something that has to be ordered up separately?

Thanks

[n8xwb]

Here in The Villages I have bought 3 homes and sold two since 2006. None of those purchases involved sewer line inspections.

[Bryan]

I presume you will hire a licensed Home Inspector in Florida to inspect your new home before closing. I suggest you ask them about the sewer line inspection - costs, need, etc. I have sold several homes in the past. In Connecticut, there was a sewer line inspection; in Tennessee the home had a septic system but that was inspected; I did not get a sewer line inspection when I purchased in The Villages.

[DangeloInspections]

Good morning Boilerman....and congratulations on your plans. It is wise to rent here first and get a feel of things before you buy.

To answer your question, a sewer line inspection using a "see snake" can be done, but it is a lot more rare here then where you are. They are never part of a regular inspection. Most inspectors do not have one, and even though I do between 400-500 inspections in The Villages, I do not. I have never had the demand for one that would justify the cost of the see snake.

However, I do have a friend of mine who is an inspector down in south Florida who does have one and he is up here all the time at his "get-away" house. If needed, he could do it. Local plumbers here could also do this for a fee.

Here in The Villages, you will either buy a new home with a full warranty, or a pre existing home. Even that home will not be that old. It will have schedule 40 PVC sewer pipe, with clean outs so one can see the flow.

In a brand new construction house, we DO sometimes find sewer line obstructions, usually caused by construction debris. If so, under warranty, The Villages will most likely scope the line and see if they need to repair an issue under warranty.

I always tell folks, before you leave for a week or more, flush all toilets 3 times to get rid of any toilet paper that may still be in the line. This paper can harden up and cause an obstruction until it softens again.

Can tree roots damage a sewer line here...yes, but it does not occur as much here as other older parts of the country with older pipes, etc.

Bottom line...if it were a bigger problem here, more inspectors including myself would do them...but that has not been the case.

Hope that helps!

Frank

[Boilerman]

Thanks so much! That's exactly what I was wondering – whether sewer line obstructions are enough of a problem in Florida that this type of inspection would be typical. Although we plan to purchase a used home instead of new, it' sounds like this is not something I should worry about.